Man shot dead by Island Co. deputies after struggle, standoff

OAK HARBOR, Wash. - A man was shot to death by a deputy overnight after the man fired multiple shots at his friend during a struggle with police, the Washington State Patrol reports.

The drama unfolded at about 8:15 p.m. Sunday when Island County sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a despondent 37-year-old man at a residence in the Monkey Hill area north of Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island. The man was reportedly armed with a weapon.

Four Island County deputies responded to the scene, along with a lieutenant, and spotted a man on the second floor of the home with a long gun in his hand, said Trooper Heather Axtman of the State Patrol.

A friend of the man arrived at the home and attempted to negotiate with him. After about three hours, the man exited the home with his long gun. His friend tried to intervene, and a struggle ensued as deputies assisted in trying to detain the armed man.

During the struggle the man fired multiple shots, hitting his friend in the leg. A deputy then shot the man, and he died at the scene, Axtman said.

The man's friend sustained non-life threatening injuries and was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. One deputy was treated and released with a minor hand injury.

The incident is being reviewed and investigated by the Skagit Multiple Agency Response Team (SMART).